


Too Late

by RedKitsune



Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, Tom Hiddleston RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angsty Tom Hiddleston, F/M, Two Endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 17:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20029630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedKitsune/pseuds/RedKitsune
Summary: While waiting at home for the man you love to return to you the internet serves up pictures that sting and cause all the doubt hidden in your heart to flair to life. When Tom returns home and can’t provide a answer good enough for you, you leave with nothing for the airport. Can Tom change your mind and convince you to stay or is it too late?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> At the end of the first chapter this story will move onto the ending of your choice. Simply select which you want. Or read them both. One chapter will continue on to the happy ending, the other with the sad ending.

With a sigh, you closed the laptop as keys jingled in the door. Tom had been gone for nearly four months and the time had dragged on. Toward the end of his stint filming on his current project the phone calls had began to taper off.

You had tried to tell yourself he was just busy. The schedules were demanding and you had work as well. But he never called this rarely. It stung and made all those doubts you tried to banish out of your mind come racing back in the darkness of night. When you did talk he never had time. He always seemed distracted and never would give you a straight answer as to what he was doing or when he would be home.

It was hard not to question if he even wanted to come home and now she had no doubt as to why. On the screen was the proof that everything she feared was true. Everything had begun to crumble and now the only question was what you would do about it when he opened that door.

* * *

Half a world away while you were tucking yourself into bed a few days prior, Tom was walking down the sidewalk with the arm of a costar looped in his. They talked softly as he held the door to a jewelry store open for her. She smiled at him and patted his chest as she slipped by. What neither of them was aware of was the man across the street who was snapping pictures of what appeared to be a special moment that he would later sell.

* * *

“Darling, I’m home.” Tom’s voice called out as he pulled his suitcase into the entry. “Sorry I didn’t call, I wanted to surprise you.”

“You did.” Your voice was flat and cold, surprising yourself.

“Darling?” There was a hint of worry when you didn’t behave as you normally would when he came home from filming. Normally you were excited to see him, eager to greet him. “What’s the matter?”

“Is there anything you want to tell me, Tom?” You asked, standing as he came into the room. Each time he stepped closer, tried to reach you, you stepped around. It quickly became clear to him that you were intending to keep the couch between the two of you.

“What’s wrong?” He questioned.

“Who is she?” You snapped. The implied accusation freezing him in his tracks.

“Not this bloody shit again. I thought we went over this last year- there is no one else. I don’t want anyone else-”

“Why are you lying to me?” It was hard to fight back the tears.

“I’m not!” Tom snapped, causing you to cringe back. “What the hell has you worried about this.”

“Maybe you taking Maria to the jewelers?” You questioned and his eyes snapped toward you. “Open the laptop and stop lying to me.”

“I’m not lying. I don’t need to look at whatever fucking pictures-”

“Do it!” You shouted, causing him to open the screen.

The image on it made his blood drain from his face. It looked so much worse than it was. Maria’s hand was pressed to his chest and her body looked to be a hair’s breath away from his. There was a small smile on his face as if they were sharing a secrete and in truth, they had been.

“I can explain-”

“Why? Why am I not good enough?” You press.

“It’s not what it looks like-”

“Stop it!” You yell as you back away from the couch, pressing your face into your hands as you tried to slow your thoughts.

Tom took the chance to close the distance. With every fiber of his being, he wanted to make you understand. There was a reason he was at the jewelers. There was a reason he wanted Maria’s opinion. There was a reason he was harder to reach than normal. He was busy making plans so that tonight would hopefully be one of the best nights of his life.

“Don’t touch me.” The words are laced with venom as you yank your arm away from him. “Don’t talk to me.”

“Please, just calm down.” Tom’s voice was harder, louder than normal with frustration and he regretted it instantly. “Please?” He asked softer.

You however were not listening. Without looking back you walked by him. Each step time he called out to you, called your name you ignored him. Without looking back you slipped your feet in your shoes and grabbed your purse.

“Where are you going?” He demanded.

“Out. I don’t know. It’s none of your business.” You yell back. How dare he demand to know where you were going. How dare he expect you to answer to him. How dare he after everything he had done. “Home maybe.”

As the door slammed in his face, Tom felt the weight of the small velvet box burning a hole in his pocket. He tried to tell himself that you would come back yet worry still nagged at him. Sure, the two of you had your fights but this was nothing like before. Yeah, you had your insecurities but it pained him that you would doubt his love for you.

* * *

After storming down the sidewalk for a bit you were able to catch a cab. Anger and pain warred inside you as you tried to keep yourself in check. Overall you managed to avoid breaking down in tears as you scrolled down the available flights departing soon and selected one. You could be on a plane and on your way back to America before midnight.

It was a rash decision, you knew that. It was the only option that was coming to mind as you fought back the panic. Every storefront the taxi passed was full of what had once been fond memories. Tom was one of the first people you had met in London and the kindness of the man who at the time was just a celebrity to you was a lifeline. Quickly you fell in love with him and surprisingly enough he fell in love with you.

That was a few years ago and now you knew it was over. You’re family had been asking you to return to the States for some time now and you always found an excuse not to. The long plane trip wasn’t something you wished to relive again. It didn’t matter now.

The taxi stopped and you paid with a sincere thanks to the man. He however grabbed your hand and held it firmly.

“Miss, you seem like you’re running from something. Be sure before you get on that plane.”

You nodded but didn’t say anything as you walked inside. The building was large and cold, just as you remembered it. The last time you were here there was joy as you began your life anew. Now you wanted nothing so much as to find a dark spot to sit and cry after checking in on your flight.

* * *

Tom paced the living room, covering the distance over and over while he tried to tell himself that you would be coming back any minute now. You always came back. When pacing did nothing to calm his nerves, he sat in front of your laptop and lifted the screen.

You’d come back. You left your laptop and you needed that for work. You had to come back for it. He keep telling himself that over and over again as he looked at the picture and headline that was so very far from the truth.

As he sat, holding the velvet box in his hand glaring at the picture, an email notification pinged in the bottom right corner of the screen. Normally he wouldn’t pay it any mind, he trusted you and was not one to snoop. This time however the subject line screamed out to him, reading: ‘BriAir thanks you for your ticket purchase’.

Clicking on it, his stomach dropped. You were not coming back. Laptop be damned, you were not coming back this time. Panic welled in him as he looked at the confirmation of a one-way ticket back to America.

Without thinking, he slammed the screen down and stood. Looking around as he ran his fingers through his hair. There was nothing here he needed, he decided as he shoved the little black box in his pocket. Flipping off the lights as he closed the door behind him, he wasted no time at all running to where his car was parked and slammed the key in the ignition.

With ever red light, with every turn he prayed that he wasn’t going to be too late. Each plane he saw in the sky added its weight to the ball of lead in his stomach. He had to make it to her in time. There simply was no other option. There was no way in hell he was going to let the best damn woman he’d ever know slip out of his hands.

The car screeched to a halt in front of the airport departures doors reading ‘BriAir’. The sign said ‘loading and unloading passengers only’ but he paid it no mind as he killed the engine and slammed the door behind him. If they towed the car, ticketed it, whatever- he would figure it out. He could figure anything out as long as she was still with him, as long as he wasn’t too late.

Rushing to the ticket counter he demanded a ticket. The clerk asked the very logical question of ‘where to’ and he had to waste valuable time explaining to her that it didn’t matter- he was just trying to talk to someone before they left, he needed it to get through security.

With boarding pass in hand, Tom rushed toward the security line. It was there that he saw you, sitting with your head in your hands in front of the line. Looking at his watch, he saw that your flight should be leaving any minute now and he should be too late. Yet you were not on it.

He took a few breaths before slowly approaching you. You didn’t even look up as he stepped up and took a seat next to you. He wondered if you had even noticed or if you realized it was him. In truth you didn’t realize it was him until he spoke.

“You didn’t get on the plane.” He spoke softly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs and letting his hands dangle between his legs.

“I tried.” You admitted, watching him out of the corner of your eye. “I would have.”

“Why didn’t you.” His voice was thick and you watched as he balled his fists only to release them and repeat the action over and over.

“My passport is in the bedroom.”

“I-” He swallowed thickly before trying again. “I don’t want you to go.”

“Then why?” You asked. “It said you got her a necklace and you look so happy in the pictures. She looks so happy. Why?”

“I needed her opinion. I wanted the opinion of a woman I trusted and she was the one I trusted most there.”

“I don’t understand?” You were looking at him, your eyes surely red rimmed with the tears you had cried.

Rather than answer you, he slipped out of his seat, standing to his full height. A few people in the distance recognized him but wisely did not come close. You watch from your seat as he runs a hand through his wild curls and takes a few steps away only to turn sharply and walk back toward you, pulling something small out of his trouser pocket.

Before you could begin to understand what it was, he sank down in front of you, one knee planted on the dirty floor. For a moment he simply sat before you, looking at the little black box in his hand before he turned his attention back to you, breathing your name as if it was a prayer for your understanding.

“I never want you to doubt my love for you, my commitment to you. We visited the jewelers that day because I wanted her opinion as a woman on rings. I was overwhelmed with the selection but being away for so long made me sure of one thing- I didn’t want to wait a moment longer to ask you this. I did buy something in that store but it wasn’t a necklace for her, it was a ring for you.” You watched with breath caught in your throat as he carefully opened the black box to reveal the ornate ring inside. It was classic, elegant and modest. It was everything you wanted in a ring.

“Tom?” His name slips through your lips as you sit in shock.

“This isn’t how I planned on doing this. This isn’t where I planned to be doing this. Oddly enough though, it is about when I planned on asking. Today I planned to ask you to marry me. Now I’m simply begging you not to leave me. But if you would be my wife- I promise to be everything you need, everything you want. I can’t promise it will always be easy but I can promise that I will always love you.”


	2. Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The happy

You slip out of the chair and launch yourself at him, wrapping your arms around him. Tears fall from your eyes as you sob into his chest. You can’t believe how close you had come to making the worst decision of your life. His arms wrapped around you, holding you tightly as he buried his nose in your hair. Tears slipped from his eyes and gathered in your hair as he mumbled over and over how much he loved you, only you.

“Miss? We’ve received the documents. We can get you on the next flight out- it departs in about 30 minutes.” A woman stepped up and spoke hesitantly.

“Thank you but I’m not going anywhere.” You pulled back from Tom just a little so you can direct your attention toward her as you spoke. She nodded and walked away with a small smile on her face and you wondered for a moment if she recognized Tom. In the end it didn’t matter.

“You’re staying?”

“I’m staying.” You nodded with a watery smile and Tom held the ring out to you.

“You don’t have to answer, you don’t have to say anything yet- I know I put you on the spot-”

“That’s typically how proposals work. Yes, Tom. Yes.”


	3. The sad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sad

You blink your tired eyes at him. Everything that could be flashed before your eyes. Yet you couldn’t deny the pain in your chest or that this would be how it always was. Rumors would always fly, the doubt would always be there deep in your chest.

Now that it had been brought to life, you knew that ember would burn bright every time he was away. Every time questionable pictures would surface. Every time baseless talk floated around. This wouldn’t be the last time. It would happen again and again because you would never believe yourself good enough for him. It wasn’t him. It wasn’t his fault. It was simply a fact of who he was, his career and who you were.

What you had feared was true, you realized. The two of you were doomed.

“You don’t have to answer right now, Darling. I just- I don’t want to loose you.” He snapped the box shut and set it on the floor as if it was some cheap piece of costume jewelry.

“Miss? We’ve received the documents. We can get you on the next flight out – it departs in about 30 minutes.” A woman stepped up and spoke hesitantly.

“Don’t go. Don’t leave me. Don’t throw us away. Don’t throw me away.” Tom pleaded as tears gathered in his eyes only to slip down his face. “Please?”

“I’ll be right there.” You told the woman and she nodded, stepping away to give the two of you privacy.

“No. No, no, no.” Tom reached out, grabbing your hand in his and held onto it as if it was a life raft.

His other knee crashed to the floor as he leaned forward, over your lap and wrapped his arms around your waist as you scooted forward in the seat. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders as you folded yourself over him. Though you tried, you couldn’t stop your own tears from slipping down your face. As much as it broke your heart to break his, you knew you were doing the right thing.

“I’m sorry Tom. I love you but I’ve got to go.” His arms went limp around you as he protested weakly.

Still, he didn’t stop you from getting up. As you walked toward security, you couldn’t resist looking back at him. The sight nearly broke your resolve. Tom sat in a crumpled heap of long limbs, face red and hair a wild mess of curls as he watched you walk away.

“One step at a time.” You told yourself as you walked through security and left what you could have had with Tom behind.


End file.
